Trump Meets with Dozen U.S. Bishops in Oval Office Ahead of Midterms

A dozen U.S. Catholic bishops met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on October 22, 2026, for a meeting that included discussions on religious freedom and school choice, according to a White House official. Video footage of the meeting, shared by Margo Martin, a White House communications adviser, showed the bishops praying over Trump.

The meeting occurred less than two weeks before the midterm elections. It followed strong objections from many U.S. bishops to a proposed and later canceled livestream of a military execution, and came after a Pew Research Center survey revealed Trump’s approval rating among U.S. Catholics had dropped from 47% at the beginning of his second term to 30% in October 2026.

Robert Schmuhl, a professor emeritus of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, observed that Trump continues to appeal to various constituencies during the midterm elections, even though he is not on the ballot.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has consistently maintained that it does not endorse or oppose specific candidates for public office. Instead, it directs Catholics to its document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” as a guide for making informed choices at the ballot box.

Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated that the organization had no role in the meeting. In response to a request for comment, a White House spokeswoman highlighted Trump’s record on religious freedom, including stopping the weaponization of the federal government against Christians and protecting parental rights.

During a press briefing on October 23, Trump described the meeting as “great” and noted that the bishops “mostly prayed.” He added that they were “great people.”

A White House official confirmed that the attendees included Archbishops James R. Golka of Denver and Jeffrey S. Grob of Milwaukee, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, and Bishops Edward J. Burns of Dallas, James T. Maher of Fort Worth, and others.

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